Venus figurine
Prehistoric female figurines from Eurasia, among the earliest known art.
A Venus figurine is an Upper Palaeolithic statue of a woman, typically carved in three dimensions. Most have been found in Europe, but examples stretch across Eurasia to Siberia. The island of Sardinia, west of Italy, produced a Neolithic version, notably the Venus of Macomer, which shares stylistic traits with the older figurines but is often linked to a "Mother Goddess" associated with fertility and the afterlife. Most date to the Gravettian period (26,000–21,000 years ago), though the Venus of Hohle Fels is at least 35,000 years old (Aurignacian), the Venus of Monruz about 11,000 years old (Magdalenian), and the Çatalhöyük figurine roughly 8,000 years old (Neolithic). They were carved from soft stone (steatite, calcite, or limestone), bone, or ivory, or fired from clay—the latter are among the oldest known ceramics. Over 200 such figurines are known, almost all between 3 and 40 cm tall. They are considered some of the earliest prehistoric art.
Most have wide hips and legs tapering to a point. Arms and feet are often missing, and the head is usually small and faceless. Many exaggerate the abdomen, hips, breasts, thighs, or vulva, though not all do. Hairstyles can be detailed, and clothing or tattoos may be indicated. The original meaning and purpose are unknown; they likely served a ritual or symbolic role. Interpretations vary widely: religious figures, symbols of health and fertility, grandmother goddesses, or self-portraits by female artists.
The category name comes from the Vénus impudique, the first Palaeolithic female sculpture discovered in modern times, found in 1864 by Paul Hurault at Laugerie-Basse in the Vézère valley, southwestern France. Most figurines were found in settlements, both open-air and caves. The Magdalenian Venus from Laugerie-Basse is headless, footless, armless, with a strongly emphasized vulva. Four years later, Salomon Reinach published on soapstone figurines from Balzi Rossi caves. The famous Venus of Willendorf was excavated in 1908 in Austria. Since then, hundreds have been found from the Pyrenees to Siberia. In 2008, a 6 cm mammoth-tusk figurine from Hohle Fels, dated to at least 35,000 years ago, became the earliest known sculpture of this type and the earliest figurative art.
The name "Venus" refers to the Roman goddess of beauty, first used in the mid-19th century by the Marquis de Vibraye, who named his ivory find La
- period
- Upper Palaeolithic to Neolithic
- earliest_known
- Venus of Hohle Fels, at least 35,000 years old
- material
- soft stone (steatite, calcite, limestone), bone, ivory, or fired clay
- size_range
- between about 3 and 40 cm (1.2 and 15.7 in) in height
- total_known
- over 200
- common_features
- wide hips, legs tapering to a point, small faceless head, exaggerated abdomen, hips, breasts, thighs, or vulva
Lore & Background
The Vénus impudique, which gave the whole category its name, was the first Palaeolithic sculptural representation of a woman discovered in modern times. It was found in 1864 by Paul Hurault, 8th Marquis de Vibraye at Laugerie-Basse in the Vézère valley, southwestern France. Four years later, Salomon Reinach published an article about a group of soapstone figurines from the caves of Balzi Rossi. The famous Venus of Willendorf was excavated in 1908 from a loess deposit in the Danube valley in Austria. Since then, hundreds of similar figurines have been discovered from the Pyrenees Mountains to the plains of Siberia.
In September 2008, archaeologists from the University of Tübingen discovered a 6 cm figurine carved from a mammoth's tusk, later called the Venus of Hohle Fels, dated to at least 35,000 years ago. It represents the earliest known sculpture of this type and the earliest known work of figurative art. The island of Sardinia had a different version, most famously called the Venus of Macomer, dating from the Neolithic period, sharing stylistic and iconographic similarities with the Upper Palaeolithic Venus figurines.
Reader's Guide
Venus figurines are collectively described as 'Venus figurines' in reference to the Roman goddess of beauty Venus, a name first used in the mid-nineteenth century by the Marquis de Vibraye. The use of the name is metaphorical as there is no link between the ancient figurines and the Roman goddess. The term has been criticised for being a reflection of modern Western ideas rather than reflecting the beliefs of the sculptures' original owners, but the original names are unknown, so the term Venus has persisted.
Most date from the Gravettian period (26,000–21,000 years ago), but findings are not limited to this period. Such figurines were carved from soft stone, bone, or ivory, or formed from clay and fired; the latter are among the oldest ceramics known. Most have wide hips and legs that taper to a point, with arms and feet often absent, and the head usually small and faceless. Various figurines exaggerate the abdomen, hips, breasts, thighs, or vulva, although many found examples do not reflect these typical characteristics.
Interpretations of their use or meaning vary widely: they have been seen as religious figures, an expression of health and fertility, grandmother goddesses, or as self-depictions by female artists. McCoid and McDermott suggested they were made by women looking at their own bodies. Another interpretation argues that differences in the statues relate to human adaptation to climate change, finding a correlation between an increase in distance from glacial fronts and a decrease in obesity of the figurines.
Did You Know?
- The Venus of Hohle Fels, dated to at least 35,000 years ago, is the earliest known sculpture of this type and the earliest known work of figurative art.
- The Vénus impudique, discovered in 1864, was the first Palaeolithic sculptural representation of a woman found in modern times and gave the whole category its name.
- Over 200 Venus figurines are known, virtually all between about 3 and 40 cm in height.
- The Venus of Willendorf was excavated in 1908 from a loess deposit in the Danube valley in Austria.
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